Bowie fifth-grade educator honored as Prince George’s Teacher of the Year

An educator in Prince George’s County lauded for her engaging instruction and efforts to develop the next generation of classroom leaders has been tapped as the county’s 2018 Teacher of the Year. Daleisha Myers, who teaches fifth grade at Tulip Grove Elementary in Bowie, has worked more than 13 years at her Maryland school and served on its management team. She is a volunteer, helping out at the school’s fundraisers, reading night, health fair and fall festival. She was nominated by her peers. “I truly believe Mrs. Myers is an ideal Teacher of the Year,” principal Jaime Coffen said. (Wash. Post)

Naval Academy Sea Trials: 'Become one with the dirt'

Don’t run at each other head first. Do aim for the head, and hit hard — soft hits might not count. These are some of the rules of pugil stick jousting, as told to plebes by prior-enlisted Marines when they got to that station during Sea Trials on Tuesday. The Naval Academy ritual was an intense 14-hour event with 36 stations designed to build team bonds and challenge the freshman students mentally and physically. The event comes at the end of the students’ plebe, or freshman, year. (Capital)

Elementary School Gets Behind-The-Scenes Tour Of Pimlico Racecourse

Arlington Elementary is so close to the Pimlico Racecourse that Tuesday morning–175 kindergartners walked to the track. Excited and chattering, they fell silent, eyes wide as they stepped up to pet Sharkey, a retired racehorse. “He’s so soft!” remarked one 5-year-old. After petting Sharkey, a boy ran over to a friend and ran his hand through his shiny black buzz cut and said his hair “felt just like the horses.” Such are the sights, sounds, and yes, smells of a behind the scenes tour at Pimlico. (WJZ-CBS)

Teacher at Baltimore's St. Frances Academy charged with sexual abuse, accused of relationship with student

A 27-year-old teacher at Baltimore’s St. Frances Academy has been arrested after being accused of having an inappropriate relationship with a 15-year-old student, according to police and court records. Ryan Penalver, a history teacher at the Catholic school in the Johnston Square neighborhood since 2012, was charged with sexual abuse of a minor, third-degree sex offense, two fourth-degree sex offenses, second-degree child abuse and perverted practice, court records show. (Balt. Sun)

May 15 // ACLU says Catonsville student reprimanded after taking a knee during pledge; wants clarity on school policy

The ACLU of Maryland is asking the Baltimore County school system to clarify its policies on student dissent after it says an 11-year-old girl at Catonsville Middle School was reprimanded by her teacher for “taking a knee” during the Pledge of Allegiance. In a letter to the school system, the ACLU said that on Feb. 25 the girl, Mariana Taylor, “silently and respectfully knelt adjacent to her desk when the Pledge of Allegiance was recited during her morning homeroom class.” It said her teacher then “improperly reprimanded Mariana within earshot of the class, reducing her to tears and creating both a class disturbance and a humiliating incident for the child.” (Balt. Sun)

Baltimore County Public Schools earns a 'B' for its food

Baltimore County Public Schools raised its grade this year to a “B” for the food it served in 2017 from Healthy School Food Maryland, a coalition of organizations advocating for high-quality, healthy food in school cafeterias, school officials announced Friday. In 2016, the county received a “C-” with only 16 points. This year, however, the county earned 28 of 48 possible points for 2017. A school official said the score increased due to the county’s efforts to use locally sourced food and also because its websites display daily menu items and the nutritional information for the food it serves. (Balt. Sun)

Towson University plans for new $2.7M field hockey complex, other sports upgrades

Towson University's women's field hockey team will soon have a new field to play on. A $2.7 million contract for updates to an existing natural grass field to create a new field hockey complex was filed with the Board of Public Works as part of its May 16 agenda. The upgrade is a game changer for the team — Towson University is the only NCAA Division I team without a field hockey-specific complex to play in. (Balt. Bus. Journal)

Weekend Backpacks Combat Hunger Among City’s Homeless Children

Thousands of children in Baltimore City schools don’t know where their next meal will come from. On weekdays, they get fed through the school’s meal program, but on weekends those meals aren’t guaranteed. One program is trying to fill that gap, so these children don’t go to bed with empty stomachs. There are nearly 3,000 homeless children who attend Baltimore City Public Schools and because they sleep in shelters, in a car or at the home of a relative or friend, there often is not enough food in the household. A program called Weekend Backpacks is expanding to help. (WJZ-CBS)